From today’s SFChron:
MitchellKatz
I’ve tried a fair number of the MitchellKatz wines and thought them some of the best being made in Livermore.
So sad.
Tom
Ugly is right. Difficult not to find fault with everyone involved.
Yeah, sounds like both sides are in the wrong. I say call it a draw.
Good lord, fact is always stranger than fiction. Who comes up with these schemes???
There was a great episode of This American Life about Butler and his shenanigans. I think it was called “PI Moms”. Worth listening to. That guy is amazingly corrupt.
Michael
Wow, heck of a story. I’m happy bunny rabbits were saved from being boiled in a pot
Based on that article, it doesn’t sound like both sides were wrong at all. It was conspiracy and entrapment and the wrong doing was distinctly one sided. I hope the conspirators see jail time if convicted, and if this is proven, I hope the wife loses her ass in the settlement, and that’s assuming she wasn’t involved in planning or authorizing the conspiracy. If she was involved, and I would guess it’s likely, I hope they throw her in jail too. Of course, all speculation on my part, but it will be interesting to see what happens here.
The guy drove while drunk… and you don’t think his side is wrong? Conspiracy, entrapment, whatever else, so be it. But the guy was drunk (whether getting there on his own or being helped along the way) and decided to get into his car and drive… that’s wrong.
It’s not clear he was legally drunk. Part of the scam was framing the victim.
This is one trial that might be worth watching.
and the wine’s nothing special either. 
…
Maybe so, but there is no way he will actually be convicted of DUI if the allegations of conspiracy are true. In fact, he may not even have been drunk. Even if he was, he was lucky not to be involved in an accident and as such, his wrong doing is pretty much insignificant in comparison. To suggest “call it a draw” or to merely find fault with everyone as posted above is what prompted my response. I wouldn’t condone him drinking and driving, but right now the other side certainly looks a WHOLE lot worse, and it’s not close.
Yeah, certainly no doubt about their wrongdoing being much worse. I’d be interested in seeing more details… if he was given a field sobriety test, what he blew on a BAC, etc. But you’re right, the conspiracy and entrapment is definitely worse.
I remember that, a couple of months ago, and you’re right, it was a very interesting story. Wild, even.
It is a sad story and all are lucky that no one was injured (should I say yet ? 
)
I can’t believe any evidence or testimony from the arresting officer would be admissible in court (if he were involved in the conspiracy).
Kenneth, thanks for fighting the good fight. How anyone could see the actions of the two party’s as equivalents is beyond me. I hope his ex-wife, the detective and dirty cop spend a lot of time in jail over this.
I don’t know if this is directed at my earlier comment, but finding fault is not the same as calling both party’s actions equivalent. I don’t see where anyone in this thead did the latter.
There were allegedly four other “dirty DUI” cases involving the same private investigator and I believe some of the others have already led to DUI convictions and/or changes in divorce settlements and custodial agreements.
Note that the Mitchell Katz winery is in Pleasanton, the dirty DUIs were in Danville and involved a Contra Costa county-based PI and Contra Costa law enforcement (not Alameda county). As far as I know, the cases don’t involve Livermore at all.
-Al
The winery is right on the Pleasanton/Livermore border, and as far as the story relates to the winery, it is considered part of Livermore Valley wine country.
As far as the story relates to the winery? Isn’t the story about the bad behavior behind the dirty DUI or the guy who may have driven drunk, or the spouse or PI or Sheriff’s Deputy that may have set him up? If the couple owned $500K of Apple stock, would it make sense for the thread to be labeled “Ugly GoingsOn in Apple” or “Ugly GoingsOn in Saratoga”?
-Al